Piston construction for internal combustion engines



Deco 10, $35. J. T. BRUBAKER 2,923,513

PISTON CONSTRUCTION FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed May 4, 1954INVENTOR. 7&4, m. M

ATTORNEY.

Patented Dec. 10, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE PISTON CONSTRUCTIONFOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES 10 Claims.

My invention relates to the art of internal oombustion engines, or thelike, and particularly refers to the piston and cylinder construction.It has for its object to provide means for maintaining an operatingclose contact between the piston or plunger and the cylinder wall,adjusting means therefor, bearing mechanism connecting the engine pitmanwith the piston, and certain other features as hereinafter described.

Ordinarily the conventional split resilient packing rings usuallyemployed are mounted upon and move with the piston, in reciprocationwithin the cylinder, Due to wear such rings deteriorate, lose theirresiliency, and require replacement from time to time. In my presentinvention the piston is merely cylindrical, without the ordinaryresiliently expanding split rings, and the compensation for wear iseffected by means in the form of a piston-embracing split ring orsleeve, mounted for cooperation with the piston, and supplemental meanswhereby the same may be adjusted from time to time to compensate forresulting wear.

Such means provide for expanding the compensating sleeve by slight buteffective regulated movement to maintain it in sufiiciently tightengagement with the piston at all times. The presentapplication operateson the same general principle as that of my prior application filedApril 14, 1934, Serial No. 720,610, in which the compensating bearingelement is mounted in the cylinder.

One preferred construction is shown in the accompanying drawing, inwhich:

Fig. l is a transverse sectional View on the line II of Fi 2;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view on the line II-II of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a perspective detail view of the piston head, with itscompensating sleeve removed.

The engine, of single or multiple cylinder construction, is providedwith the main cylinder casing 2 suitably mounted on or incorporated witha base of suitable design, and provided with the usual severalaccompanying parts and cooperating elements, not shown. Within thecylinder is a split shell, sleeve, or ring 3, the inner face 4 of whichis tapered and in embracing engagement with the correspondingly taperedouter face of the hollow piston or plunger shell extension 5, connectedby the usual pitman 6 with the crank of the main shaft, by cross pin to.

Sleeve 3 is divided longitudinally as at l, and is provided withinwardly extending abutments 8 having inwardly slotted bolt-engagingopenings 9, preferably at opposite sides.

Plunger 5 is of the full working diameter at the top, by its head Ill,presenting an upper area for actuating pressure of the fuel element. Be-5 low the head It the diameter of the piston is suficiently reduced toprovide the downwardly tapering cylindrical wall 5, for engagement withthe compensating sleeve 3.

Sleeve 3 is designed to fit snugly within the :0 interior of thecylinder 2, and to be adjusted toward the head Ill from time to time bymeans of temper screws or bolts H having threaded engagement at l2 inhead Ill. The lower ends of the bolts are provided with heads l3 and I415 at each side of the bolt shank, engaging slotted openings 9. At theirupper ends the bolts are provided with a cross slot l5 for engagement bya screw driver inserted through the registering openings closed by theplugs l6.

Sufficient clearance IT is provided between the upper terminal of sleeve3 and the lower portion of head it) to allow for ample compensatingsleeve movement and adjustment as required.

The sleeve 3 extends downwardly for the de- 25 sired necessary lengthfor full bearing contact with the cylinder, and is provided with anydesired design of alternating overlapping or interengaging tongue andrecess joint construction through its length, as at [8. The plunger 5 is30 provided at opposite sides with the pin openings l9 and at rightangles thereto with clearance openings 20, providing for inwardextension of the bolt engaging abutments 8.

As thus constructed it will be observed that, 35 depending on the degreeof slope or inclination of the contacting faces of the sleeve andpiston, the sleeve may be very accurately adjusted toward the pistonhead, and correspondingly expanded, due to the wedging action of thetapered 40 faces.

It will be observed also that, for reducing the weight of the piston 5,its wall may be variously perforated, as at 35 in Fig. 3. Grooves 36 arealso provided arranged longitudinally at intervals on the exterior, forsplash lubrication between the contacting faces of the piston and.sleeve, and the cylinder wall.

With the construction above described the lateral expansion orenlargement of the elastic sleeve or ring is performed by the verysimple expedient of utlizing pressure and wedging action, by simple andaccurate means capable of very slight, gradual and accurate application.The construction is comparatively simple, cheap and effective, andcapable of satisfactory and serviceable use under the conditions ofinternal combustion engine practice.

What I claim is:

1. A piston for an internal combustion engine as described having a headand an annularly reduced tapered outer wedging face on the piston wall,an expansible one piece longitudinally divided sleeve surrounding saidwedging face, the sleeve having portions extending inwardly through thepiston wall, and means within the piston engaging said portions foradjusting the sleeve on the piston and adapting it to be movedlongitudinally on its wedging face.

2. A hollow piston for an internal combustion engine as described havinga cylinder engaging head and an annularly reduced tapered outer wedgingface, a longitudinally divided one piece expansible sleeve having aninner conformably tapered piston-engaging face and alternatingoverlapping interengaging division edges, sleeve lugs extending inwardlythrough openings in the piston. wall, and means engaging the piston andsaid lugs for moving the sleeve longitudinally of the piston.

3. A piston for an internal combustion engine as described having acylinder engaging head and an annularly reduced tapered. outer wedgingface, a longitudinally divided one piece expansible sleeve having aninner conformably tapered piston-engaging face and alternatingoverlapping interengaging division edges, sleeve lugs extending inwardlythrough openings in the piston wall, and adjusting bolts swivellyengaging the sleeve lugs and in threaded connection with the pistonhead.

4. A piston for an internal combustion engine as described having acylinder engaging head and an annularly reduced tapered outer wedgingface, a-longitudinally divided one piece expansible sleeve having aninner conformably tapered piston-engaging face and alternatingoverlapping interengaging division edges, and adjusting bolts swivellyengaging the sleeve in threaded connection with the piston head andprovided with rotatable terminals adapted to be actuated by animplementfrom the outer end of the piston.

5. In a piston for internal combustion engines, the combination of amain piston head having an inner hollow annularly reduced taperedwedging face shell extension provided with opposite clearance openings,a longitudinally divided one piece expansible sleeve having an innerconformably tapered piston extension-engaging face and lugs extendinginwardly through said openings, and adjusting bolts for the sleeveengaging said lugs and in threaded engagement with the piston head.

6. In a piston for internal combustion engines, the combination of amain piston head having an inner hollow annularly reduced taperedwedging face shell extension provided with opposite clearance openings,a longitudinally divided one piece expansible sleeve having an innerconformably tapered piston extension-engaging face and lugs extendinginwardly through said openings, and adjusting bolts for the sleeveengaging said lugs and in threaded engagement with the piston headhaving outer terminals adapted to be engaged by a rotatable implement.

7 In a piston for internal combustion engines, the combination of a mainpiston head having longitudinal threaded openings and an inner hollowannularly reduced tapered shell extension provided with oppositeclearance openings, a longitudinally divided one piece expansible sleevehaving an inner conformably tapered piston extension-engaging face andslotted abutments extending through said openings, and adjusting boltsfor the sleeve having shoulders engaging said abutments and actuatingterminals engaging the threaded openings in the piston head.

8. In a piston for internal combustion engines, the combination of a.main piston head having longitudinal threaded openings and an innerhollow annularly reduced tapered shell extension provided with oppositeclearance openings, a longitudinally divided one piece expansible sleevehaving its meeting edges provided with alternating series ofinterengaging tongues and recesses, said sleeve being provided with aninner conformably tapered piston extension-engaging face i and slottedabutments extending through said openings, and adjusting bolts for thesleeve having shoulders engaging said abutments and actuating terminalsengaging the threaded openings in the piston head.

9. A piston head having an outer terminal cylinder-engaging impactportion and an inner hollow annularly reduced tapered wedging face shellextension provided with transverse clearance openings and adapted toprovide a supporting and adjusting surface for a relatively movablepacking sleeve, a cylindrical longitudinally divided sleeve thereonhaving an inner conformably tapered piston-engaging face and adjustinglugs extending through said openings, and adjusting if means engagingsaid lugs.

10. A piston head having an outer terminal cylinder-engaging impactportion and an inner hollow annularly reduced tapered wedging face shellextension provided with transverse clearance JOHN T. BRUBAKER.

